The Rangers announced that they have trimmed their training camp roster, this time sending five more players to Hartford.

Defenseman Sean Day was sent to the AHL club’s training camp along with forwards Nick Jones, Connor Brickley, Tim Gettinger, and Dawson Leedahl.

Jones had a very impressive audition with the big club, beginning in Traverse City and culminating with the only goal against the Flyers on Saturday night. Day is still recovering from offseason surgery, but you’d have to think the prospect is running out of chances with the Blueshirts. Brickley spent some time with the Rangers last season and is a likely call-up from Hartford if he’s needed. To me, Gettinger needs to take the next step this year with the Wolf Pack if he wants to be more than a fill-in player at the NHL level. As for Leedahl, this is his third season with the organization, and he hasn’t gotten past the AHL level yet.

Training camp is here for the Rangers. As for the Wolf Pack, their training camp will begin in mid to late September, around when the Rangers do their first round of cuts. This year’s camp features four players that are trying out for the big club.

Tryouts

Former Wolf Pack/Connecticut Whale players Connor Brickley and Michael Haley enter training camp in hopes to impress the Rangers brass. Joe Morrow and Mason Geertsen have also been invited. The situation with the cap space is a tough for the Rangers, however Hartford could give one of them a chance should they impress enough.

Looking at Hartford’s situation, they will be crowded with talented prospects and veterans as well. To be in the mix on the AHL level, these tryout players must be spectacular in order to be given any shot within the organization.

A deeper dive

Looking at the four tryout players, some are a better fit than others if they join Hartford. Let’s assess:

Connor Brickley

Connor Brickley returns to training camp after not getting an offer with New York. Last season the forward played in 13 games with Hartford (2 goals, 4 assists) and 14 games with the Rangers (1 goal, 3 assist). Prior to joining the organization through a trade, Brickley spent 39 games with the Milwaukee Admirals (7 goals, 4 assists). The 27 year old has solid experience on the AHL level while gaining additional experience in the NHL. Brickley’s playing style would fit well in Hartford as the Wolf Pack lack toughness in their lineup. The forward could provide a punch to the lineup physically.

Michael Haley

Michael Haley is back in the organization for training camp. The former Connecticut Whale/Wolf Pack forward (Wolf Pack was briefly the Whale from 2010-2013) spent two seasons in the AHL (2012-13, 2013-14). The 33 year old has quite the impressive numbers in penalty minutes for an enforcer. He is known to drop the gloves and will stir up the pot. Haley would fit the role of a tough guy for Hartford.

Joe Morrow

Joe Morrow enters training camp after a two season campaign with the Winnipeg Jets. The 26 year old spent his first four professional seasons in the AHL, then jumped to NHL full time excluding a three game stint with the Providence Bruins in the 2016-17 season. The defenseman has become a seventh man on the blue line and has played in limited games. Given the crowded blue line, Hartford does not need another defenseman.

Mason Geertsen

Mason Geertsen joins training camp after spending the last two seasons in the AHL. Last season with the Colorado Eagles, Geertsen produced 16 points (3 goals, 13 assists) in 58 games. In addition to offensive contributions, the defenseman is able to rack up high number of penalty minutes. Last season, Geertsen registered 134 penalty minutes.

As mentioned earlier, the Rangers have too many players on the blue line to justify another signing for Hartford’s blue line. The young prospect still has learning to do. On the plus, he is able to defend his teammates and is willing to drop the gloves. He can be an enforcer for the Pack, but given his position, sacrificing a prospect spot for an enforcer may not be ideal.

Pack could use toughness

Hartford has an opportunity to address toughness in their lineup as three of the four guys will address the toughness void in the lineup. The question remains if they want to take the spot of a younger player in order to do so. The AHL can be a rough and tumble league and it may be wise to have at least one tough guy in the lineup.

The trade deadline for the Hartford Wolf Pack was quiet. The New York Rangers did not tinker with the AHL roster, except with one addition. Going forward the rest of the season, the group is expected to remain the same until we reach April. As we enter this week, Hartford is still far from the final playoff spot in the Atlantic Division.

Hartford has a busy week ahead with three games on tap to end February and begin March. Coming into Wednesday’s contest, Hartford is tied for seventh in the Atlantic Division with the Springfield Thunderbirds. Hartford has a record of 23-25-6-3.

Standings Update & Positioning

The Wolf Pack are nine points out from a playoff spot. On the plus side, the Pack has won a string of games as of late and has kept up with the bottom tier teams. Hartford is now tied for seventh and is able to reach as high as sixth depending on the outcome of other games this week.

If Hartford continues to pick up points, they have to act fast if they want to jump up in the standings. Here are a few teams that Hartford could jump or be within reach of with the scenario of a Hartford win plus these teams losing:

• 7th- Springfield Thunderbirds – Tied
• 6th- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins – four points ahead
• 5th- Lehigh Valley Phantoms – Five points ahead

These are teams Hartford can creep up to in the standings. In fact, the next two weeks feature multiple games against Springfield and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

After this weekend is complete, we will go from there and revisit the standings if it is worth to do so.

You can check the 2019 AHL Playoff Primer here as this is updated daily.

Information To Know

In addition to the trade deadline passing on Monday in the National Hockey League, there was another deadline that loomed in the AHL at 3pm.

The Rangers have elected to not assign any prospect to Hartford before the deadline. That means players such as Lias Andersson, Boo Nieves, and Connor Brickley will not be able to return to Hartford for the remainder of this season.

Normally teams will assign prospects to their minor league teams as a paper transaction. Then the following day, call them back up. This tells a story of how New York is not expecting Hartford to make the postseason.

Another deadline of note is the AHL’s trade and loan deadline. The deadline is strictly for players on AHL contracts, and I do not expect movement from Hartford here.

Farm Report: Injuries, Contracts, Roster Movements

This week featured a bit of news regarding multiple aspects of Hartford’s roster.

• Two Players Return Next Season
  • On Monday, the Rangers announced contract extensions for Steven Fogarty and Boo Nieves. I expect at least one of them to be in Hartford next season. Well deserved by both forwards.
• Transactions
  • Defenseman Matt Finn has been released from his PTO.
  • Defenseman Julius Bergman joins Hartford as he was acquired in the trade involving former Ranger, Adam McQuaid.
• Injury Updates
  • Ville Meskanen was injured in the opening shift of Saturday’s game, and he did not play on Sunday. I suspect a lower-body injury, around his knee and foot area. He was limping off the ice after a collision with a Providence player along the boards.
  • Brandon Crawley is still out for a brief period with an upper-body injury.

Steven Fogarty Impresses

The Rangers prospect found his offensive touch again. Sunday’s game against Providence was the Steven Fogarty show, as the forward notched a hat trick plus one assist. Check out his goals here.

In addition to two of the goals being shorthanded, Fogarty is now the third player in franchise history to register two shorthanded goals in the same game.

The prospect is on a six-game point streak and has points in seven of his last eight games (7 goals, 6 assists for 13 points). The hot hand continues as we enter into this week’s games. Impressive playing by the forward in the last few weeks.

One Timers

• Vinni Lettieri has points in seven straight games (5 goals, 5 assists for 10 points). Check out his shorthanded beauty here.

• John Gilmour and Steven Fogarty are tied for points on the team at 39.
• Matt Beleskey hasn’t recorded a point in his last four games. In addition, the veteran has not scored a goal in 19 games. He is looking to break that spell.
• Sean Day continues to produce points. He has points in four of his last five games (2 goals, 3 assists for 5 points).
• Ty Ronning has goals in back to back games.

• Hartford has three shorthanded goals in the last two games.

Upcoming Games

Wednesday, February 27th vs Hershey Bears (Washington) at 7pm, XL Center

• This is the third of six meetings against the Hershey Bears. This is the first time Hershey is in Hartford this season.
• Hershey’s 16 game winning streak ended on Sunday against Bridgeport as the Sound Tigers won 5-1. The Bears were on a 16-0-0-1 streak before the regulation loss.
• Hartford is 0-1-1 in the season series against Hershey. The first meeting ended in a shootout loss on November 4th and the second meeting was a 6-3 defeat on December 8th.
• Hershey is third in the Atlantic Division with a record of 31-21-0-3 for 65 points.

Friday, March 1st vs Springfield Thunderbirds (Florida) at 7:05 pm, Mass Mutual Center

• This is the eighth of ten meetings in the season series. Hartford is 3-4 against Springfield entering the contest.
• Springfield has stumbled this season, going from one of the top teams to now a tie with Hartford for last. The Thunderbirds are 2-7-0-1 in the last ten games.
• Depending on the outcome of Wednesday’s game between Hartford and Hershey, the Pack may be ahead of Springfield entering Friday’s game.
• This is the third meeting in Springfield. Hartford is 1-1 this season at the Mass Mutual Center.
• The Thunderbirds record is 22-23-6-5 for 55 points.

Saturday, March 2nd vs Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh) at 7:30 pm, XL Center

• This is the fifth of six meetings against the Penguins. Hartford is 1-2-1 in the season series.
• The Penguins are 26-22-5-2 for 59 points and is ahead of Hartford by four points. The Penguins are sixth in the Atlantic Division.
• The Penguins are 4-4-1-1 in their last ten meetings.

After Sunday’s 11 goal affair that saw the Blueshirts come up on the wrong side of a 6-5 decision, the Rangers paid much more attention to their defensive structure in this one. And while David Quinn won’t be too pleased that his team gave up 45 shots, the Rangers were able to rely on King Henrik to make the timely saves and allow the Blueshirts to come back and win.

Connor Brickley – The Rangers acquired the 26-year-old winger back in January, and he has played well since being recalled from Hartford last week. Brickley tallied his first point with the Rangers during Friday night’s win in Buffalo, and he recorded his first goal with the Rangers against the Hurricanes. After Carolina took a 1-0 lead, Brickley drove to the net and had the rebound of Filip Chytil’s shot deflect off of the veteran winger and behind Curtis McElhinney.

Brickley has done well on David Quinn’s fourth line since being summoned from Hartford. And with the trade deadline looming, perhaps Brickley will get a more expanded role after the expected roster purge over the next few days.

Vladislav Namestnikov – While he puts in a consistent effort every night, he hadn’t been seeing the fruits of his labor in the form of goals until Friday night. Namestnikov seems to have a little extra jump in his step since scoring those two goals in Buffalo, and this extra confidence saw him net the game-winner in the third period. Seconds after the Rangers power play expired, the Russian forward put the loose puck into the back of the net for his seventh of the season.

Namestnikov has been rumored to be on the trading block for the rebuilding Rangers. If he is in fact sent off Broadway before Monday’s deadline, it’ll be interesting to see the kind of return Jeff Gorton will be able to get for the veteran forward.

Tony DeAngelo – The biggest knock on the young defenseman was his abilities in his own zone. It seems that under David Quinn’s tutelage, however, that DeAngelo has improved night after night. His bank pass to Filip Chytil led to the first Rangers goal, but its his defensive work in this contest that I want to highlight. DeAngelo made a few good defensive plays with his stick, including diving across the zone to break up a scoring chance for Carolina. The Sewell, NJ native added five blocked shots in this one, as we seem to be seeing the defenseman maturing right before our eyes.

https://twitter.com/pr_nhl/status/1098062263297150976?s=21

Henrik Lundqvist – Just as he has done countless times throughout his illustrious career, Henrik Lundqvist made save after save to preserve a tenuous Rangers lead and send the Blueshirts to victory. Lundqvist stopped 44 of 45 Carolina shots, including 18 in the final frame.

Next Game: The Rangers will try and get their second win in a row on Thursday night when they return to MSG and face the Minnesota Wild. Puck drops at 7!

LETS GO RANGERS!!

The Rangers announced that they have recalled forawrad Connor Brickley from the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Brickley, who was acquired by the Rangers in a trade with the Nashville Predators, has spent the last few weeks with the Wolf Pack since first coming into the organization. In 52 AHL games this season, Brickley has 17 points (9G, 8A) split between Hartford and Nashville’s AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.

The Wolf Pack continue their skid as they enter the early stages of February. The group has lost seven straight and is 29th in the American Hockey League. Ouch. Who would have thought the group would creep this low? I did not, considering the roster that was provided. As we enter this week, with four games on tap, Hartford is 19-23-3-2 for 43 points. That ranks them eighth in the Atlantic Division.

Hartford Falls After Trading Away Captain

The group is 1-7 since the captain, Cole Schneider, departed from the organization through a trade. Since the trade, the Wolf Pack have not looked the same. When you trade away one of the team’s better forwards, second in points at the time, usually the gamble may not be worth it. Well, we have the results after the trade, and the Pack’s plan has seemingly backfired.

I am not knocking on Connor Brickley because he’s a different type of player. We are comparing apples to oranges here. Chris Drury wanted grit and, unfortunately, Milwaukee won the trade, value wise. Perhaps the organization could have moved another forward for Connor Brickley.

The players and Keith McCambridge had some interesting commentary on the trade. Remarks from the group on Howlings.net regarding the trade raises eyebrows.

“I told them he was a part of our family starting from September and you hope till early June (Calder Cup Final time) you’re together as a family. I really like this group. They get along well together, and a piece of our family was taken away. I always speak from the heart to the team,” McCambridge said.

McCambridge was channeling his captain’s player role, not so much being their head coach

“I liked Cole a lot. He was a good man. I like what he represented. Now, we have to pick up the slack in a leadership void and what he brought (to the team) on the ice as well.”

Keith McCambridge

From a coach’s perspective, McCambridge sounds as if he lost one of the best forwards in the locker room, despite bumping him to the third or fourth line to kickstart his offense, which seemed to have worked.

“We’re bummed out for sure. That is the tough part of the business, and we signed up for it, and we all know the possibilities,” Holland said. “Our lives can be tossed into a blender and get traded away.”

Peter Holland

Was this the right move for the Wolf Pack? Probably not, but I will let you decide.

John Gilmour Continues To Prosper

The 25-year-old defenseman continues to make strides in Hartford. His contract is up this summer and I expect him to return. Offensively, he has found a spark and ran away with it as his offensive game continues to shine. The prospect has 36 points in 47 games played. Last season in 44 outings, he collected 26 points and in the 2016-17 season, he had 25 points. If the defenseman stays in Hartford for a majority of the season, we could see him reach as high as the 50-point range, which, for a defenseman, would be impressive.

John Gilmour is the best defenseman on the ice for the Pack on both ends of the ice. His speed allows him to easily transition from defense to offense and be able to block lanes when the opponent establishes play in Hartford’s zone. If the Rangers are looking for a call up on the blue line, I expect John Gilmour to get the call.

Injury Updates

Hartford is dealing with a few injuries or illnesses. As a result, players such as Sean Day and Zach Tolkinen are being given opportunities to play.

• Matt Beleskey – Illness. He should return shortly.
• Brandon Crawley – Injured. Time table for return is unknown.

Rangers Prospects In Hockey East Updates

Goaltender Tyler Wall was named Hockey East’s defensive player of the week. Congrats to the Rangers prospect for his award!

Closer to home, University of Connecticut’s goaltender, and Rangers prospect, Adam Huska is the starting goalie for the university. Despite a record of 5-11-2 with a 3.16 goals against average, he is still continuing to develop. The team in front of him has struggled this season as the group is led mainly by young freshmen. The University of Connecticut is 7-17-2, but is just 2-12-2 in Hockey East play.

Upcoming Games

The Pack has a busy week coming up. Perhaps the losing streak could get snapped this week.

Tuesday, February 5th vs Bridgeport Sound Tigers (Islanders) at 7 pm, XL Center

• This is the final meeting in Hartford between the clubs. This is the ninth of ten meetings in the season series. The series finishes up next Saturday in Bridgeport.
• Hartford is 4-3-1 against Bridgeport. Last season the group was 3-6-1.
• The Sound Tigers are second in the Atlantic Division with 56 points. They are 25-17-4-2 and have won four of their last ten outings.

Friday, February 8th vs Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay) at 7:15 pm, XL Center

• This is the first meeting between the clubs. This is a two-game season series. Hartford is in Syracuse on March 16th. Last season, the Pack split the season series with the Crunch.
• Syracuse is 27-13-2-1 for 57 points, second in the North Division. The Crunch enter the week winning six straight.
• Hartford is 12-9-2 at home, while Syracuse is 10-8-2 on the road.

Saturday, February 9th vs Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia) at 7:05 pm, PPL Center

• Saturday begins back to back games in Allentown against the Phantoms. This game will be the fourth of six meetings in the season series. The last three meetings will be in Allentown.
• Hartford is 2-1 against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms entering the contest. Last season, the Pack won all six games against the Phantoms.
• The Phantoms are fourth in the Atlantic Division with 55 points. They are 25-17-3-2, and is 5-5 in their last ten outings.

Sunday, February 10th vs Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia) at 3:05 pm, PPL Center

• This is the fifth of six meetings on the season series.
• Hartford will return to Allentown on April 13th to finish the season series during the final week of the season.

The Wolf Pack have hit an all-time low as we close out the month of January. As we enter the last week of action before the All-Star festivities, Hartford has fallen in the standings. The Pack dropped their last two of three games.

Hartford is eighth in the Atlantic Division with a record of 19-19-2-2 for 42 points. They are at .500, which is not good enough in the competitive Atlantic Division. Due to last Sunday’s game being postponed to the next day, the Pack found themselves suddenly playing the next four games in a span of six days. They must bounce back, otherwise, they will be too far back to catch up in the second half of the season. Let’s get to business.

Standings Update

I did not expect Hartford to fall this far behind. Unfortunately, this is the reality. However, the standings are still tight. If the Pack find a way to win out the upcoming games this week, they could be in a better spot and literally forget they were in last place. Now is the time to respond after seeing where they stand against the division.

The pivotal games against their divisional rivals are critical to win, which they have not done. As a result of the losses to Springfield and Providence, Hartford dropped while their competitors gained an advantage. The group will try this again in this week’s contests.

Inconsistency Bites Wolf Pack

The storyline of inconsistency continues with the young group. I have seen amazing games where the boys have won in impressive fashion, to games where they are completely dominated by their opponents. The last three games proved how each game is a toss up in performance. We go from a thrilling 6-5 overtime win against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Friday night to a 3-0 shutout loss to the Springfield Thunderbirds, who had lost a few key players and also played an ECHL goalie. Then, if you look at Monday’s game against Providence, Hartford was close but not out until late stages of the third. That game itself featured a slow start, and the group woke up too late to catch up in time.

By now, the group should be playing more consistently. Keith McCambridge wants consistency but he is not getting that. He cannot bench everyone, despite the performance of the team as a whole. He will have to get creative in regrouping his team. I know he loves to teach one-on-one, but he will need to find a plan that will help the team get back on track before its too late.

Connor Brickley Completes First Weekend With Hartford

Forward Connor Brickley debuted last Friday against the Phantoms, netting a goal and an assist for two points. In addition, the experienced forward had a breakaway and other chances throughout the game. You could notice his play immediately on the second line. Then, on Monday, he notched one assist as he shot the puck on net to produce a juicy rebound for John Gilmour to convert. I enjoy his playing style so far and look forward to see how he performs throughout the season. After this season, his contract is up, and he’ll have to prove that he belongs in Hartford.

One Timers

• Peter Holland’s point streak was snapped on Saturday against Springfield. He had points in nine of the last ten games. In that span, he tallied 20 points (11G, 9A).
• John Gilmour has points in his two of his last three games. He has two goals and five assists.
• Hartford will play 11 of their next 18 games at home.
• Friday’s game against Lehigh Valley had a multi-point performance for a few players on the Wolf Pack roster.

AHL All-Star Weekend

The American Hockey League festivities will happen at the end of the week! Check out a few details regarding the event. I will be attending the exciting events in person. More to come in next week’s article.

• John Gilmour is the lone Wolf Pack representative. This is his second straight trip to the festivities.
• The Skills Competition is scheduled to be on Sunday, January 27th at 7 pm.
• The All-Star Game will be on Monday, January 28th at 7 pm.
• The AHL Hall of Fame Induction will be on January 28th at 11 am at MGM Springfield. The ceremony features former Wolf Pack great Brad Smyth.
• There will be a post skills competition meet and greet with the players after the contest at MGM Springfield.
• The following events will be featured in the skills competition:
  • Puck control relay
  • Fastest Skater
  • Rapid fire
  • Hardest shot
  • Accuracy shooting
  • Pass and score
  • Breakaway relay
• To watch the action, tune in to the NHL Network in the United States and Sports ONE and Sportsnet NOW in Canada. In addition, this event will be streaming on AHL TV.

Upcoming Games

Hartford will have three games before they go on break.

Wednesday, January 23rd vs Springfield Thunderbirds (Florida) at 7:00 pm, XL Center

• This is the fifth of ten meetings against the closest rivals in the American Hockey League. The last game was on Saturday as Hartford was shutout, 3-0. Hartford is 2-2 in the season series.
• Springfield is fourth in the division with a record of 19-14-6-4 for 48 points. Hartford is behind the Thunderbirds by six points.
• The Thunderbirds won four of their last ten outings. They are on a 1-0-1-1 streak entering Wednesday’s contest.

Friday, January 25th vs Binghamton Devils (New Jersey) at 7:05 pm, Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena

• This is the second of four meetings against the Devils. The first meeting was on October 10th, a game the Pack lost 5-3.
• The Devils are seventh in the North Division with a record of 19-22-4 for 42 points. The group enters the week losing three straight (0-2-1).
• This is the final meeting in Binghamton between the clubs this season. After Friday, the last two games will be in Hartford on March 13th and April 7th.

Saturday, January 26th vs Charlotte Checkers (Carolina) at 7:00pm, XL Center

• This is the fifth of eight meetings against the league-leading Checkers. Hartford is 1-3 in the season series. In the prior season, Hartford went 2-6 and was winless in Charlotte.
• The Checkers are first in the division, and the AHL, with a record of 30-10-4 for 64 points.
• Charlotte enters the week losing two straight (0-1-1). However, the group won six of their last ten games.

As Hartford approaches the halfway point of the season, there is still work to be done for the group if they want to play more than just the regular season. After snapping a two-game skid, the group found themselves down but not out. The Pack has work to do if they want to move up in the competitive Atlantic Division. As the group prepares for another important weekend, the roster has undergone some changes.

Hartford enters the week seventh in the Atlantic Division. Despite the low rank, only a few points separate the Pack from third place Springfield. The Wolf Pack are 18-17-2-2 for 40 points.

Standings Update

There are a few changes from last week to this week. Hartford was bumped from sixth to seventh in the division. As the Pack prep for this weekend, the club faces Lehigh Valley, Springfield, and Providence. All three are ahead of Hartford by a few points, so winning these divisional games are pivotal if the group wants to inch up in the standings. Depending on other games over the weekend, the Pack may find themselves higher by next Sunday night once all weekend games are completed.

Hartford’s Captain Traded Away

On Monday evening, the New York Rangers exchanged veteran forward Cole Schneider for forward Connor Brickley. Hartford’s former captain had signed a two-year deal prior to the trade. In his first year in the organization, the veteran performed well offensively (16 goals, 34 assists, 50 points).

This season, the forward notched 13 goals, 12 assists for 25 points in 36 games. Despite a slow start to the season, the veteran found a spark offensively and became noticeable on the scoresheet. Considering the move, he was not doing enough to keep Chris Drury and Keith McCambridge satisfied.

The trade reminds me of last year’s trade with Joe Whitney. Prior to their respective trades, both veterans were struggling on the ice. Both were playing fewer minutes as the season progressed, eventually playing on the third, then onto the fourth line. Cole Schneider found success while Joe Whitney did not. Another difference is that Cole Schneider had a shorter time in Hartford than Joe Whitney. Management expected more from the forward and he did not deliver.

Cole Schneider became the captain of the group this season. The Wolf Pack has traded away their last four captains. As we say in Hartford, the “captain curse” is real.

Regarding my thoughts and analysis on the trade, Cole Schneider was a great addition to the roster. He was a dependable player for the group. He was a known voice in the locker room, attempting to give the group a spark and step up on the bench when needed. The prospects learned from the experienced veteran. Losing the player with the second-most points on a roster is a mind-boggling trade. Connor Brickley is not proven offensively and plays a different style than Cole Schneider.

Looking at the return, Brickley plays with the edge and grit. He is able to play in your face and potentially put up numbers on the scoresheet. In his past, the forward has racked up penalty minutes and is capable of producing. However, his point production has declined. In 39 games with the Milwaukee Admirals, he notched seven goals and four assists for 11 points. A change of scenery is needed for the gritty forward.

The Pack is banking on Brickley playing with an edge and putting up good offensive numbers. If Hartford gets solid production from the forward, plus the rough edge, then the trade worked out well. If the offense does not show up, then Nashville won the trade. The Rangers took a huge gamble for their farm team. Let’s hope this works out. He will debut on Friday against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Ryan Lindgren Growth Leads to Call Up

Also on Monday, defenseman Ryan Lindgren was called up to New York from Hartford. You can read more about the transaction here.

The prospect has played top line minutes with John Gilmour as both gelled on the blue line. Ryan Lindgren provides a style of play that Ranger fans will be excited to see.

A day prior to the prospect’s call up, Hartford’s play by play broadcaster Bob Crawford wrote about the progress on the prized defenseman.

When Ryan Lindgren came to the Wolf Pack out of the University of Minnesota, the Hartford coaching staff knew that the 20-year-old was a strong, gritty blueliner and an effective defender. What has been a nice revelation is how well-rounded Lindgren’s game is.

Bob Crawford

You can read about his progress here.

John Gilmour Excited For All-Star Action

Rangers prospect John Gilmour was interviewed briefly by NBC Connecticut’s Gabrielle Lucivero. In a fun chat with the prospect, John Gilmour talks about how his hard work pays off on where he is at now.

“John Gilmour is a three-year pro and now he’ll be a two-time All-Star. But his introduction to hockey was a little slippery.
“I didn’t like it because I kept falling,” said Gilmour. “I didn’t know how to skate, I mean skating’s frustrating if you don’t know how to skate right?

Hard work paid off. Gilmour said his dad kept him in power skating classes until he remembers a time when he never wanted to leave the ice.”

Gabrielle Lucivero

In his third year in the American Hockey League, the prospect has been selected twice for the All-Star game. This is John Gilmour’s final year in his entry-level contract. I hope to see him return as he has made some huge strides in his young career. You can read more here.

Injury Update Plus Suspension

In last Saturday’s action against Bridgeport, Sound Tigers forward Steve Bernier made an illegal check to the head on Hartford’s Steven Fogarty.

As a result, Steve Bernier received a game misconduct plus a three game suspension as a result from his action.

The American Hockey League today announced that Bridgeport Sound Tigers forward Steve Bernier has been suspended for three (3) games as a consequence of an illegal check to the head of an opponent in a game vs. Hartford on Jan. 12.

Bernier was suspended under the provisions of AHL Rule 21.1 after being assessed a match penalty. He will miss Bridgeport’s games Tuesday (Jan. 15) at Charlotte, Wednesday (Jan. 16) at Charlotte and Saturday (Jan. 19) vs. Providence.

American Hockey League

Steven Fogarty did not return to the game after the collision. It is unknown how long the forward will be out for Hartford.

As for the rest of the roster, the group is close to healthy. The injury bug has not hit Hartford this season. The flu was going around the locker room, however, it should be stopped soon. Dustin Tokarski was out last weekend due to sickness. He is expected to return for this weekend’s action.

Transactions

• Brandon Halverson was assigned to Maine on Sunday. He played in one contest with Hartford while he was up for the weekend. His call up lasted nearly a week.

One Timers

• The power play ranks 12th in the American Hockey League. Hartford operates at 19.8%. The power play has given up seven goals with the extra man on the ice.
• The penalty kill ranks 12th in the league as well. The short-handed line combinations kill 81.5% of penalties. The group has six short-handed goals.
• Peter Holland leads the team in points with 39. The veteran has points in seven straight, and in eight of the last nine. In those nine games, Peter Holland has notched 16 points (9G, 7A).
• Matt Beleskey has points in three of his last four contests, and in six of the last nine, collecting seven points.
• Tim Gettinger is finding his grove slowly after returning from his concussion. The prospect has points in back to back games.
• After a good start in Hartford, Lias Andersson has cooled off lately with the Pack. I expect the talented prospect to produce more as the season progresses. When he finds his touch, watch out. He is able to put up solid offensive numbers.

Upcoming Games

Hartford will have an important weekend of games, with six points on the line against their divisional rivals.

Friday, January 18th vs Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia) at 7:15 pm, XL Center

• This is the third of six meetings against the Flyers affiliate. The last meeting was on January 5th in Hartford as the Pack won 3-1. The season series is split with one win for each club.
• The Phantoms are in the final playoff spot in the Atlantic Division. They are in fourth with 43 points, going 20-15-1-2. Hartford is three points behind Lehigh Valley.
• The Phantoms have lost three straight and six of their last ten outings.
• Hartford won six of their last ten meetings and is one game above .500.
• Lehigh Valley’s defenseman T.J. Brennan leads AHL defenseman in points with 33 (7G, 26A).

Saturday, January 19th vs Springfield Thunderbirds (Florida) at 7:00 pm, XL Center

• This is the fourth of ten meetings against Hartford’s closest rivals, Springfield. Hartford is 2-1 in the season series. The previous meeting was on January 4th as Hartford won 3-1.
• The Thunderbirds are in third place, going 18-13-5-3 for 44 points. Hartford is behind Springfield by four points.
• The Thunderbirds have lost seven of their last ten games. However, Springfield has won three of their last five games to keep afloat in the standings.

Monday, January 21st vs Providence Bruins (Boston) at 3:05pm, Dunkin’ Donuts Center

• This is the eighth of ten meetings against the Bruins. Hartford is 4-2-1 in the season series. Last time out, Hartford dropped a 6-3 decision to Providence on January 11th. Hartford has been outscored by Providence 11-4 in the last two meetings.
• Providence leapfrogged Hartford after Sunday. The Bruins are in sixth with a record of 18-16-6 for 42 points. Hartford is two points behind.
• Providence is on a four-game point streak (3-0-1), and have won six of their last ten meetings.
• Depending on the weather situation in Connecticut and Rhode Island, the game could be postponed. If it does happen, a new date will be announced by the league at a later date.

The Rangers made two roster moves today, including acquiring Connor Brickley from the Nashville Predators.

Cole Schneider, who is headed to the Milwaukee Admirals, the Predators’ AHL affiliate, never got into a game for the Rangers in his 1.5 years with the organization. Schneider registered 75 points (29G, 46A) in 112 games with the Wolf Pack.

The other transaction the Rangers made was calling up defenseman Ryan Lindgren from the Wolf Pack.

Lindgren was a key piece in the Rick Nash trade at last year’s trade deadline, as the young defenseman was the lone prospect included in the deal.

Lindgren is a big, physical, defensive defenseman that can dish out big hits and is a strong skater. He has good NHL upside, but limited offensive potential and in fantasy hockey holds more value in deeper leagues with multi-cat scoring such as hits and blocks.

Dobber Prospects

The assumption is that Lindgren is being brought up to the big club because the injury to Fredrik Claesson is more severe than initially expected. And as David Quinn has said in the past, he prefers playing his defensemen on their strong sides.